Bobbin release for weft replenishing looms



w. H. KING 1,863,904

BOBBIN RELEASE FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS June 21, -1932!.

5 SheetS ShGQt 1 Filed May 26, 1950 5077'0/1 SIM/ 7" FI/POM/OF 699M June 21, 1932. w. H. KING 5 3 BOBBIN RELEASE FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOdMS Filed May 26. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 21, 1932. w. H. KING BOBBIN RELEASE FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed May 26, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 J/HVTOP MAL/HM. /7. /\//\/G- 4/ Patented June 21, 1932 UNITE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE" WILLIAM H. KING, or cni'n'roiv, MASSACHUSETTS, Assronon To cR'oMrToN &

nOwtEs 'IJOOM WORKS, or, WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS .IBOBBINI'RELEASE-FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LooMs' Application filed May 26,

leasing untransferred bobbins-in multicolor weft replenishing mechanisms and it is the general object of the invention to improve the operation of such devices so thatthe released bobbin may fall during a part of the cycle of the pickwhen the lay-is moving rear-o wardly. o

In the usual form of multicolor weft replenishing mechanism a plurality of stacks of reservebobbins of different colors are controlled so as to release-a bobbin corresponding to theeolorofthe active shuttle when the latter needs replenishment. If upon a subsequent pick of a loom the depleted shuttle is not correctly boxed for replenishment a shuttle feeler will act to revoke the magazine and prevent transfer, leavingthe untransferred bobbin on the bobbin supports under the transferrer arm. The shuttle is then picked to the opposite side of the loom and may pass out of action v sothat the shuttle next to be active does not correspond to the bobbin left on the supports. For this reason it is necessary to release a bobbin-remaining in the transfer position after the magazine is revoked. X

Constantly acting releases have been. used and also those operating only WhGIl'HGBdQCl but during the forward stroke of the lay. Other releases act during rear movement of the lay by contact with the latter, requiring some attachment to prevent repeated contact with the latter. It is an imporant object of my present invention to provide a bobbin release which shall be. controlled by an integral part of the multicolor magazineand will act during thebackward stroke of'the lay to release the bobbin by mechanism operating independently of the lay and at all times out of the path of movement of the latter.

Commercial multicolor magazines employ.

vertically moving slides which are normally bound and are controlled by an: actuator which is movable from a central neutral position downwardly to raise the slide v corresponding to the active shuttle as the first step in moving the bobbin to transfer position. The-actuator at a latertimein'the cycle of 1930. Serial N0.'455,600.

Operations is given an upward movement which is effective/to depress the raised slide and br'ing about the second stepprepar'atory to transfer. 'It is a further object of my invention to establish connections between the actuator and a bobbin support to move the latter to bobbin releasingposition during the downward motionof the actuator while the lay is moving rearwardly- From the statement already made concerning the operation of a multicolor magazine it is seen that the vertical slide mustmove upwardly beforethe secondstep which acts to movethe bobbin from its cradle. to the bobbinsupports. It is a still further objectrof my invention to provide a bobbin-release which is dependent for its operation upon raising of the slide to insure the release of any bobbin in transfer position prior to the discharge of another bobbin toward trans fer position. I

' It frequently happens that on the pick following indication of exhaustion the depleted shuttle will pass out of action and another substantially empty shuttle will COIllGilIltO action, with the resultthat two vertical slides will be raised at the same time and two'transfers can follow in successionwithout an intervening operation of the weft detector. Un

der these conditions it is necessary to beable to release the bobbin which may be left untransferred after the lowering of the first slide while the other is raised, so that when said other slide is depressed to release its bobbin the latter may move properly to transfer position. It is another important Object of my present invention to provide a bobbin release which will operate during the time that any vertical slide is raised to release the bobbin, thereby providing for successive multiple transfers without danger of leaving av not notice the faulty picking. In the present 7 In previous revokers the untrans ferred bobbin has been releasedimmediatelyafter revocation and if the weaver were at; tendingother looms in her section s'he'would,

instance, I aim to leave the untransferred bobbin on the supports until a subsequent operation of the weft feeler, thereby affording the weaver more time to see the bobbin and increasing the opportunity to see faulty picking.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodimentof my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation taken from the interior of the loom of a magazine in normal position with my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation taken in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1, showing a portion of the magazine,

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View showing the operating parts of the invention in normally closed or bobbin supporting position,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but with the bobbin support moved to releasing position,

Fig. 5 is a detail top plan View taken in the direction of arrow 5, Fig. 1 showing the ad justable connection between the bobbin support and the operating rod therefor,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged front elevation taken in the direction of arrow 6, Fig. 1 showing the rocking lever,

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail horizontal tion on line 77 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the lifting mechanism which is controlled by one or another of the vertical slides of the magazine, and

Fig. 9 is a rear elevation taken in the rection of arrow 9, Fig. 7.

' Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the

loom frame 20. supports a magazine M in which is mounted for vertical sliding movement four slides 21, 22, 23 and 24, respec tively. These slides are each operatively associated with a cradle member 25 and provided with upper and lower lugs 26 and 27, respectively. A color slide 28 having spaced fingers 29 is mounted on a slide rod 30 movable through bearings 31 on the magazine. A bell crank lever 32 pivoted as at 33 and actuated by a link 34 is operatively connected'to the rod 30 to give the latter four different longitudinal positions so that the fingers may cooperate with the lugs of one or another of the vertical slides, depending upon which shuttle is active.

An actuator block 35 is movable vertically in a fixed bearing 36 and is pivotally connected to an actuator lever 37 intermediate the ends of the latter. As viewed in Fig. 2 the left hand end of said lever is connected by means ofa vertical rod 38 to a rocking lever 39 operatively related to the color slide 28 in the active shuttle, the actuator block 35 will move downwardly when the shuttle is under the magazine, the controller pin 41 under these conditions being out of the path of the lever to permit the latter to descend freely without moving the rod 38. When weft is depleted in the active shuttle, however, the pin 41 moves under the lever to become the pivot of the latter so that descent of block 35 will depress lever 38 to cause a rocking movement of the color slide 28 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2. The lug 26 lying vertically above one of the fingers 29 will under these conditions be raised to lift the corresponding vertical slide.

As the slide rises it will rock its normally empty cradle so that the latter will receive the lowest bobbin'of the corresponding stack, this being the first step'in the bobbin advancing operation. A spring plunger 42 holds the slide in raised position.

The indicating shuttle will go across the loom and return on a subsequent pick, at which time the previously described action of actuator lever 37 due to the upward movement of the block '35 will depress the raised slide to roll the cradle back to its normal position, thereby causing it to advance its bobbin to transfer position. When the bobbin is released by the cradle it will move to the dot and dash line position shown in Fig. 1 to be supported at the front by a fixed support 43 and at the rear by a movable support 44.

The magazine includes in its construction a rear tie rod 45 having'pivotally supported thereon a link 46 to the lower end of which the support 44 is pivoted. A torsion spring 47 surrounding the tie rod 45 acts on the hub of the link 46 in such a way as to tend to hold the lower end of the latter toward the center of the magazine or forwardly, or to the right as viewed in Fig. 1. A transferrer 48 may be of known form and is lowered on transferring beats of the loom by mechanism not shown to push the bobbin on the supports between the latter and into the depleted shuttle.

The matter thus far described is of common constructiombeing the usual so-ca-lled four cell stationary magazine. For the purposes of the present invention it is important to note that the actuator block 35 is normally in an intermediate or neutral position and moves downwardly when the lay is on front center on detecting beats of the loom while the shuttle is'under thetmagazine. It is at this time that the detector places .thecon trollerpin 41 and the downward movement of the block, coming immediatelyafter front center, relays the indication given by the controller pin to the magazine and the proper vertical slide. After moving downwardly the block will be returned to its intermediate or neutral position where it will remain until the-following frontcenter with the shuttle on theopposite side of the loom, at which time the block 35 will start to rise. This upward movement does not ordinarily begin until the color indication from the patter'nmechanism orthe drop box motion has positioned the color slide 28.

As previously stated, the shuttle upon returning to the magazine side of the loom may not be properly placed so that mechanism not shown will act to prevent transfer, thereby leaving a bobbin on the supports 43 and 44. This bobbin must be moved out of the magazine preferably during the rearward stroke of the lay and in accomplishing this result Iprovide a lifter bar which as shown in Figs. 1 and 8 is carried by a pair of rear and front arms 61 and 62, respectively, loosely mounted for pivotal motion about slide rod 30. The forward arm 62 has projecting therefrom a lifter finger 63 from which depends a link 64. The latteris conected to the forwardly projecting end 65 of a coil spring 66surrounding a fixedpart of the loom, such for instance as a forward tie rod 67 corresponding to tie rod 45. j The spring 66 is stronger than the spring 47.

Acontrol lever68 is pivoted on the tie rod.

67 and is limited in movement toward the center of the loom by collar 69 fixed to the tie rod. The upper arm of lever 68 is connected to a control rod 70 extending rearwardly to be adjustablv connected as shown in Fig. 5 to a clip 71 adjustably held on a screw 72 projecting rearwardly from finger 73 formed as part of the rear support 44. Lock nuts may be employed as shown in Fig. 5 to hold the screw 72. and the clip 71 in fixed desired relation with respect to the finger 7 3, said screw 72 acting also as a stop to engage a portion of the depending link 46 and thereby limit relative angular motion between the link and support 44. A nut 74 on the rod 70 exerts a rearward force on the support 44 when the rod is pushed rearwardly.

The lower arm of the lever 68 is formed with a wing 75 having a cam face76 to cooperate with a head 77 projecting above and rigid with respect to the block 35. The head preferably has a rounded upper en'd'78and a rear substantially vertical face 7 9 to have sliding contact with the wing 75.

Under normal conditions, the block 35 will be in its intermediate or neutral position as previously described and-at indication of weft exhaustion in the active shuttle will by its normal downwardmotion from intermediate position lift one of the slides 21, 22, 23 or 24 to. raise a lug 26 against the lifter rod 60, thereby rocking the arm 62 in a counter clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2 to raise link 64." The effect of this is to place the spring. 66'under strain such as will :rock the lever 68 from the normal position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 with the face 76 out of the path ofthe head 77 to the position shown in Fig. 4 with said face 76 directly over :the rounded head 78. The spring plunger 42 will hold the elevated slide in raised position thereby maintaining thelever 68 in the indicating position shown in Fig. 4. Because of the fact that spring66 overpowers spring 47 the rearward thrust of rod 7 0 will move the support 44 backwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4, and any bobbin whichmay have remained inthe magazine from a previous revocation will be dropped. 7

It is necessary to move the rear support 44 toward the support 43, or to bobbin supporting position, prior to the release of a bobbin by the cradle corresponding to the raised ver tical slide, and this is accomplished through the upward movement of the block 35. The parts are so proportioned that when the block 35 returns from its low position on indicating beats to intermediate or neutral position the head 77 will engage the surface 76 and rock the lever 68 back from the dotted to the full line position shown in Fig. 1, the block 35 thus overpowering the spring 66 so that the spring 47 again becomes operative to move the support 44 tonormal bobbin holding position. The block 35 remains in neutral position while the shuttle travels toward the opposite endof the loom, and then rises after the color slide 28 has been positioned, returning to neutral where it remains during the forward stroke of the lay which brings the shuttle forwardly under the magazine. In this way the rear support is held in bobbin retaining position from the time the bobbin is delivered from its cradle until it is'moved by the trans'ferer arm 48 from the supports intothe shuttl S. The support 44 can move rearwardly despite the fact that lever68 is held againstleft hand movement as viewed in Fig. 1 by head'77 because of the fact that clip 71 is free to move rear'wardly from nut 74, rod 70 passing through the clip sufficiently 1 to maintain guiding relation therewith.

If transfer is revoked the bobbin remains on the supports until the next indication by the feeler, which may be on the revoking pick if the shuttle is not too widely misplaced.

The release of the bobbin from its cradle is accomplished by the downward movement of-the raised vertical slide and as the latter returns to its normal low position the lifter rod 60 moves downwardly thereby resetting the device in normal position with lever 68 9; to each rocking of a cradle. In this way as shown in the full line position of Fig. 1 and the support 44 in closed or supporting position. Spring 47, acting through the clip and nut 7 4, pushes the rod forwardly to hold wing 7 5 out of the path of the head 77 as the latter reciprocates during normal running.

As previously stated it is possible to have two slides raised at the same time, but during the time that any slide is raised the spring 66' will be stressed so as to tend to move the support 44 to bobbin releasing posit-ion whenever the block 35 moves downwardly from its neutral or intermediate normal position. This latter action takes place every alternate pick of the loom and the rear support will thereforebe vibrated every other pick during the period that a vertical slide is raised.

Although the structure set forth herein operates to release the bobbin shortly after front center with the lay moving rearwardly yet by adjusting the position of nut 74 011 the rod 70 some loss of motion can result so that the releasing of the bobbin will take place during the latter part only of the downward motion of the block 35, in this way permitting the lay to move rearwardly and increasing the distance before the bobbin is dropped.

It will be understood that indication of weft exhaustion is relayed to the magazine and that the upright slides 21, 22, 23 and 24 upon upward movement thereof act to store an indication until the indicated shuttle returns to the magazine side of the loom.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided means for releasing an un transferred bobbin by that movement of block 35 which necessarily precedes actual delivery of a bobbin from the cradle, the opening of the, supports being thus accomplish ed .prior surance is given that two bobbins will never be in transfer position at the same time. It will further be seen'that the releasing of the bobbin takes place while the lay is moving rearwardly. It will also be noted that no matter how many of the vertical slides are raised the device set forth herein will act to release a bobbin prior to the descent of any of the raised slides to thereby insure discharge of any bobbin which may remain from a previously revoked transferrer.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a reserve supply of bobbins, means to hold a bobbin derived from the reserve supply in transfer position, a weft detector controlled element, a device to store indication of weft exhaustion, and mechanism to coact with the element on Weft exhaustion indicatingbeats only and acting while the lay is moving 'rearwardly and independently of the lay to release a bobbin remaining on the means after a prevented transfer, and during the time that another indication is stored by the device.

2. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a reserve supply of bobbins, means to hold a bobbin derived from the reserve supply in transfer position, a weft detector controlled element, a device to store indication of weft exhaustion, and mechanism to coact with the element on weft exhaustion indicating beats only and acting during the first part of the rearward motion of the lay and independently of the latter to release a bobbin remaining on the means after a preventedtransfer, and during the time that another indication is stored by the device.

3. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a reserve supply of bobbins, means to hold a bobbin derived from the reserve supply in transfer position, a weft detector controlled element, a device to store indication of weft exhaustion, and mechanism to coact with the element on weft exhaustion indicating beats only and acting during the first part of the rearward motion of the lay and independently of the latter to give the means a bobbin releasing movement after a prevented transfer, and during the time that another indication is stored by the device.

4. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a supply of reserve bobbins, a bobbin support to hold a bobbin from the supply in transfer position, an actuator movable from a neutral position in one direction to give a reserve bobbin an initial movement toward transfer position at exhaustion of weft, a device to store indication of weft exhaustion, said actuator being movable from neutral position in another direction to move the bobbin to transfer position, and mechanism operated by the actu'atorwhen the latter has a movement in the first named direction to move said support to release a bobbin remaining after a prevented transfer and during that time when another indication is stored by the device. a

5. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a supply of reserve bobbins, a bobbin support to hold a bobbin from the supply in transfer position, an actuator movable from a normal position in a given direction to initiate movement of a bobbin from the reserve supply toward transfer position, a device to store indication of weft exhaustion, and connections between-the actuator and the support to move the latter to bobbin releasing position when the actuator has a movement in said given direction and during that time when another indication is stored by the device.

6. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a supply of reserve bobbins, a bobbin escapee support to hold a bobbin from the supply in transfer position, said support being normally in bobbin holding position, a device to store indication of weft exhaustion, and means operative only upon indication of exhaustion to initiate movement of a reserve bobbin toward transfer position and also move the support to bobbin releasing position during that time when more than a single indication had previously been stored by the device.

7 In a weft replenishing loom having a plurality of supplies of reserve bobbins, a bobbin support normally placed to hold a bobbin in transfer position, an actuator, a member for each supply, said. member for any supply movable from normal to abnormal position by the actuator at the time of indi cation of weft exhaustion in one of the reserve supplies, and connections between the member and the support to move the latter out of bobbin supporting position while a member controlling another supply is in abnormal position.

8. In a multicolor weft replenishing loom having a plurality of supplies of reserve bobbins, a bobbin support normally placed to hold a bobbin from any of the supplies in transfer position, an actuator having a regular movement, a plurality of members, one for each supply, any one of which is movable from normal to abnormal position by the actuator to advance a reserve bobbin toward transfer position, and mechanism operable by any of said members upon movement thereof to abnormal position to move the support out of bobbin holding position while another member is held in abnormal position.

9. In a weft replenishing loom having a supply of reserve bobbins, a bobbin support normally placed to hold the bobbin in transfer position, an actuator having a periodic movement toward and from a normal position, a member movable by the actuator from normal to abnormal position to advance a re serve bobbin toward the support while the actuator is moving away from normal position, an element movable by the member into the path of the actuator, and connections from the element to the support to move the latter out of bobbin supporting position when the element moves into the path of the actuator, the latter upon returning to normal position moving the element to cause the connections to effect movement of the bobbin support back to bobbin supporting position,

10. In a weft replenishing mechanism wherein indication of weft exhaustion is given on one pick and transfer occurs two picks later, a bobbin support normally placed to hold a bobbin in transfer position, a device to store indication of weft exhaustion, means acting at the time indication of weft exhaustion to move the support out of bobbin supporting position, and other means to return the bobbin supportto bobbin'supportingposi-- tion prior to the time of the transfer following the indication of weft exhaustion and while a second indication is stored by the. de-

vice. V c

11. In a weft-replenishing loom wherein indication of weft exhaustion is given on one pick andtransfer occurs two picks later, a

bobbin support normally placed to' hold the bobbin in transfer position, adevice to store indication of weft exhaustion, a member mov-- able at-the time of indication of weft exhaustion to initiate movement of a reserve bobbin toward the support, said member being given another movement between indication of weftexhaustion and transfer to give the bob-- bin a second advance movement toward the support, and means to move the support out of bobbin supporting position when the member has its first movement to initiate movement of a bobbin toward transferposition and to return the support to bobbin holdingpositionprior to the time the member-has its second movement to return the support to bobbin holding position before arrival of'the bobbin advanced bysaid member to the support,

and while a second indication has been stored by a prior indication. Y

12. In a weft replenishing loom having a element into the path of the actuator, and con nections between the element and the support, said element when moved by the vertical slide placing the support out of bobbin supporting position when the actuator moves in one direction from neutral position and the element being moved by the actuator when the latter moves in the other direction to render said support effective to hold a bobbin in transfer position.

13. In a weft replenishing loom having a supply of reserve bobbins, a bobbin support normally placed to hold the bobbin in transfer position, a vertical slide normally in down position, an actuator normally in a neutral position, a lever normally out of the path of the actuator and operatively connected to the vertical slide, and connections between the lever and the bobbin support, said actuator when movable in one direction from neutral positionupon indication of weft exhaustion raising the slide to cause movement of the lever to move the support out of bobbin holding position, said actuator when returning to neutral position engaging the lever to move the same and cause said lever to move out of controlling position with respect to the suport. p 14. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a supply of reserve bobbins, a bobbin support to hold a bobbin from the supply in transfer position, aresilient device to hold the support yieldingly in bobbin holding position, an actuator movable in opposite directions from a neutral position, a vertical slide to be lifted from normal to abnormal position by the actuator when the latter moves in one direction upon indication of weft exhaustion, a member operatively connected to the slide, yielding means stronger than the resilient device interposed between the slide and member to move the latter by a force derived from the slide, said slide when moving to abnormal position effective to move the member into the path of the actuator, and connections between the member and the bobbin support, said slide when moving the member causing the support to move out of bobbin holding position, and said actuator when returning to neutral position and when moving from neutral position in the opposite direction moving the member against the action of the resilient 'means, the resilient device thereupon returning the support to bobbin holding position.

15. In a weft replenishing loom having a supply of'reserve bobbins, a controller determined as to position by the condition of the running weft, an actuator under control of the controller, a member to be moved by the actuator at such times only as the actuator is under control of the controller, and mechanism operated by the movement of the member to release an untransferred bobbin remaining in untransferred position after a prevented transfer, and before that time when a second bobbin would be moved to transfer position from two successive weft indications.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

WILLIAM H. KING. 

